The PR owes around Rs600 million to the PSO and it has stopped any further purchase of fuel from the PSO as its officials maintain that they don’t have funds to buy the required fuel.

The Railways has resorted to purchase of fuel from the open market which is causing double headed problems. The directives of the Operations to purchase fuel from the open market does not go down well the finance department of the Pakistan Railways as the department maintained that if it had the money to pay for fuel it should have paid the PSO in the first place. Furthermore, the purchase of fuel from the open market is apparently becoming a problem as the PR officials have given the reason that there isn’t sufficient amount of fuel available in the open market at reasonable price.

This has, once again, jeopardised the rail operations as the first consequence of the fuel crisis is expected to be the suspension/closure of trains. It is pertinent to mention that the trains schedule is already in the worst possible state as they are lagging as much as 15 to 18 hours behind their schedule.

The dearth of fuel is also adversely affecting electricity generation and its provision to PR offices, stations, colonies and quarters as there is little fuel left to feed the power houses of the Railways.